Dark Side of the Moon

[Terminus]

Can be done, though. I'll never forget the first (and so far, only) time I caught a CV task force with a surface combat TF including battleships. Aaaah, memories...

[Raverdave]

Yup we are in for the long haul.  I suspect that although he has lost only 100 ships....he has a LOT of damaged ships in ports all over the pacific.  Australia makes for a nice fat target for me....pin him down there at the end of his supply lines.  But i need to hold Brisbane/Queensland to do it.  (And this is assuming that he does NOT take NZ).

[wdolson]

I notice you still have the Hornet and Wasp. Are they laid up damaged, or are they operational? Don't say if you think Honda might be reading.

Japan has got to be over extended at this point. It might take until 1947 to beat them back to the home islands, but his empire might collapse if hit in the right places.

First order of business is to stabilize Australia. Once that situation is under control, and you start getting some Essex carriers, you can start probing his island outposts and see if he's left any poorly defended. Taking some bases in the Solomons or Central Pacific can give him some heart burn and get him fighting on multiple fronts at once. In the real war, the simultaneous pincer moves by Halsey and McArthur kept Japan very much off balance. In late 43 and early 44, they had to contend with an Allied comback in Burma along with Central Pacific island hopping and the New Guinea campaign.

The Allies get enough units to be many places at once. Japan can get over stretched having to fight too many battles at once. You have one heck of a hole to dig out of though.
Bill

[jumper]

Wow, what a beating... I see you still hold Wake (succesful counteroffensive?)That´s a good for you. You have nice bridgehead for future ofensives if you will have chance to start any (or hold it till that time)...
This game looks to be very interesting. Do you plan to start an AAR or you just want to share your pain? [;)]
 
 
Nice avatar btw. [:)]

[niceguy2005]

What is the pressure like on the rest of your forces in OZ. Have you lost many of the OZ divisions?

Glad you have both agreed to play on. I am curious how this will play out. Will it become a one front war.

The allies will win in the end regardless. Once Corsairs and Hellcats are online nothing can stop the allies.

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

This is the one that hurts the most.[:(]

The Saratoga was taken out by a Long Lance attack!!

[Mike Solli]

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

Yup we are in for the long haul.  I suspect that although he has lost only 100 ships....he has a LOT of damaged ships in ports all over the pacific.  Australia makes for a nice fat target for me....pin him down there at the end of his supply lines.  But i need to hold Brisbane/Queensland to do it.  (And this is assuming that he does NOT take NZ).

Why take Australia? Why not just isolate it? Just think of the forces you could trap there....

[Honda]

Shut up![;)]


Here the screenie of the night encounter that sent Lex and Sara t the bottom.

They were crippled the day before and left on their own to attract my Vals' and Kates' attention and left without escort because it was a lost caouse anyway. It made sence since the battle wasn't over and I was left with just 2 operational CVs. Had I not intercepted at night, God knows how the battle would have played out. In the end I barely had enough CVs to give the Australian operation the green light.

edited for amazing typos...

[TimoN]

ORIGINAL: Mike Solli

ORIGINAL: Raverdave

This is the one that hurts the most.[:(]

The Saratoga was taken out by a Long Lance attack!!

Rarely I see Kongo class BBs faring so well. Looks like they have finished Warspite, Portland and Indianapolis. Must have been really nice surface combats for Honda.

[Raverdave]

@ Mike:  I plan to seal Austalia and take out his forces there.  I want to SEE lots of dead hondas.  I am not really interested in just winning......I looking for some farking old time revenge.  Not fussed if it rolls into '46.
 
@ Niceguy: I don't have that many Aussie divisions left.....I fought tooth and nail for my homeland and the cost has been high.
 
@Wdolson: yeah I have a couple of carriers.  But I'm not going to waste them at this point or even risk harm on raids.  They are going to be used (and currently are) on convoy protection duty. 

[Honda]

These are the game’s settings and house rules and a brief description of operations from Jap perspective.

SETTINGS:
PDU – off
Sub doctrines – off
Historic first turn – off
Allied damage control – on
Advaced weather effects – on
FoW – on
December 7th surprise - on

Turn1 specific rules:
1. One port attack (PH)
2. Phillipines: Japan has a free hand at landing on north, west or south (those are all opes seas aproaches) but only on historical landing sites or those for which the troops landing are prepared
3. Landings in general - only historical landings allowed
- Jap TFs can move to 4 hexes away from an allied air
base

House rules:
1. Stacking limit of 80 planes per airfield size
2. No George or Jack on CVs
3. No F4U-1 on CVs; F4U-1D only on fleet CVs
4. No recon invasions with tiny forces
5. No B29s on naval attack; minimum size 7 to operate - if less, max 48 Superfortresses per base
6. No mine port missions over bases with a plane symbol
7. No kamikaze strikes over CAPs max altitude
8. No G4M2e strafing
9. No training of bombers by supply transport missions
10. No 4E bombers on naval attack below 6000ft
11. Japan activates USSR regardless of wether it will or will not attack (USSR can only attack on or after August 9th 1945); Japan can't use anything from Kwantung without paying PPs and also shouldn't weaken it below the now imagined 9000 AP
12. Allied troops and planes can enter Soviet territory only if political points are paid for their transfer to Far East Command (those units then remain Soviet till the end of the war)
13. PT limitations - PTs can combine with other ships only for transport purposes
- max n(6?) ships and n(2?) PT TFs per port

Honda MiniMod changes:
1. OscarII gets mvr 36, dur 27, and 2x250kg AP bomb
2. New plane: OscarIII - all stats like OscarII except:
mvr-37
spd -358
availability – 5/44
armor - 1
3. Ki-100 gets mvr 36, dur 31
4. Type13 radar penetration set to 500 (should work as an air-search radar now)

So here’s what happened…
War plan for the beginning was as follows:
1. Destroy the Pacific fleet at PH.
2. PI: landings at Luzon (north and south) and at Davao
3. Landings on Guam and Wake, but Gilberts canceled
4. Land at Songhia and Khota Bharu but only with minimal forces (only to take and hold the objective)
5. Take Hong Kong

In the overall strategy I decided to make east India and Australia my main objectives in the war. To do so, I had to make two simultaneous thrusts while at the same time pushing to secure the perimeter around the oil rich bases in DEI before capturing them and building a defensive line in the Marshals from day 1.

INDIA THRUST:
To go for India, Sing had t fall quickly. To ensure the, only token forces were landed in Malaya, but enough to give a sence of seriousness. The main landing was at Mersing, which cut the british Malayan army in half. Singapore fell on January 8th. Now, the road to Burma lay open. Simultaneously with operations in Malaya I formed Armored Detachment Burma which consisted of a bit more then 50% of japans armor force. It pushed all the way to Mandalay (after a few obstacles) where it was stopped. That suited me. It was there that Raver lost India I think. He wanted to hold at Mandaly and sent the bulk of his army to Burma. That played right into my hands ‘cause my Indian operation was short on everything: ships (small CVs detachment and 4 CAa), troops, air support. With Armor Detachment Burma retrating to Rangoon and joining the invasion fleet for Diamond Harbor it was renamed Armored Detachement India. The landing in Diamond Harbor coincided with a paradrop on Asansol by all 5 japanese para units. Both operations succeded and british army was cut off by an equivalent strnght of 4 divisions. I take much pride in that operation. Although my plan was to take and hold East India I found the subcontinent waiting to be overrun. So I blocked the entire british army with less then 2 divs and marced on. I was finaly stopped on the Delhi-Ahmadabad line and that hasn’t changed since. I went for a Krete-like operation with Ceylon but ended bogged down near Colombo after taking Trimcomalee. Colombo shoul, however, soon fall in Japanese hands.


AUSTRALIA THRUST:
This is the main objective. Australia is by itself complicated, but first some prerequisites had to be met. I slowly advanced with South Seas Detachment and some naval garrisons on Rabaul and then Lunga. Logical extension was Noumea but I didn’t want to risk it without first developing those bases and establishing a firmer line of communication. I was also short on CVs. Only 5 CVs and all CVEs were slated for this thrust (Kaga and CVLs were supporting India thrust). Once I had Clarck Field and Singapore, I started prepping 8 divs for Sydney. Slowly, I assembled the armada. First I took Noumea after which I had my Midway. Somhow, I manged to sink 4 american CVs but lost Akagi and Hiryu. Soryu survived massive damage (a small miracle) and is repairing in Japan at the moment. With what I had left of the CVs, I concluded the Sydney landings were possible and went for it. I found Sydney virtually empty. Soon Canberra was mine and then I undertook a flanking landing in Adelaide and left Melbourne isolated. Just recently, I captured Perth and Darwin may be next (the last Aussie bastion in the north). Alice Springs is also mine. Queensland still holds a majority of Australian troops. So far my tactic has been to keep it under a sea blockade. There have been some leakers however. Port Moresby holds a garrison of 60000 and is under daily bombardment from Lae.

One moment of note was Raver’s attempt at counterattack in the Marshalls. It failed, but only just. I manage to hold on and inflict great casualties. In fact, I’ve been sinking ships all around the map from day 1. Only PH was a failiure (no BBs sunk).

CHINA:
There’s a theater that just opened for me. I had no long term plan. I had wishes, but no idea how to make them real. My only firm plan was to attack and conquer North China while at the same time defending on other fronts. Luckily for me, Raver unleashd an offensive on Kaifeng with an army of some 150k troops(IIRC) which I managed to stop and then isolate. After that I more or less steamrolled through the rest of the county. Now, I’m about to reach Kunming. Only thing is I have a huge unchecked Chinese army in my rear between Kweiayng and Wuchow (on the trail).
Just remebered, Raver also went for Indochina, at some point held Haiphong, but the end result is I got 4 more SAA divisions. Weeeeeee…

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: Honda

I found Sydney virtually empty.

This is why I always keep a strong garrison at Sydney and most of my other major ports. With the game designed the way it is Japan can pretty much invade anywhere it wants in the first 6 months.

Adelaide is another matter. It is almost always the weak spot in Oz, but then again what a daring operation for Japan to pull off without securing other bases.

[FAdmiral]

My advice to the Allied player:

Start putting lots a $$$ into the Atomic Energy Commission !!

JIM

[Raverdave]

the reason for the loss of Sydney was two-fold.  I had aussie troops deployed to NZ after Noumea fell.  It was correct to think that NZ would be the next target in an attempt to cut the SLOC between the US and Oz.  I had also two divisions of Aussie troops in PM.  I was determined not to let that fall.  I guessed wrong on both and as a result Sydney fell.  [:(]  I would never have expected hin to hit the Oz mainland from the south east coast and was caught flat-footed. 
The 7th Oz div was then sent from NZ and just made it into Melbourne before the full blockade came into force *phew* and as a result Melbourne still holds.
I have managed to pull out two full divisions from PM right under Hero Honda's nose but he is now starting to wake upto the fact and has increased his air blockade around that area.  Too little to late. [:)]
 
Looking and the ship arrival time table, it is going to be at least another 12 months before my CV fleet is big enought to openly challege Hero Honda in a toe to toe CV battle, and i sudder to think what he is capable of doing in that time period. 
 
Jap troops are building in India and the thrust will be Karachie.  So far I count 25 units, so it is going to be a farking huge battle when it does start.
 
There have been some boarder clashes between Japan and the USSR.  The Soviets recently sent a letter to the diet basically saying that if the recon flights over Soviet territory didn't stop then there would be war.  Hero Honda turns out to be not much of a hero and pulled his head in rather than risk battle with the  Red Banner Armies. [:'(]  Nice to see a win on the diplomatic front[:D].
 
The house rule of 80 planes per airfield point kinda went out the window in some places as he squezzed me tight they had now where else to go.[8|]
 
Oh and one of my RN subs hit his mine field yesterday.....didn't sink but just goes to show you huh? 

[Dive Bomber1]

ORIGINAL: Honda

Hi girls
Autovictory is not an issue. We are playing this till the end! It has been agreed upon from day 0.
I'll post a description of operation to date when I catch time...
JFBs around the world rejoice! While you still can...[;)]

All Hail the Master!!! [&o]

I definitely want to read what you did! (So I can try similar things in my games... [:D] )

[marky]

ORIGINAL: Dive Bomber1

ORIGINAL: Honda

Hi girls
Autovictory is not an issue. We are playing this till the end! It has been agreed upon from day 0.
I'll post a description of operation to date when I catch time...
JFBs around the world rejoice! While you still can...[;)]

All Hail the Master!!! [&o]

I definitely want to read what you did! (So I can try similar things in my games... [:D] )

heh

dont even think about it ya bugger

[:D]

[Raverdave]

ORIGINAL: Dive Bomber1




All Hail the Master!!! [&o]

I definitely want to read what you did! (So I can try similar things in my games... [:D] )

Pffffffffftttt [8|] You know whats worse than a JFB? A Sycophant JFB !

[aztez]

OMG. Tough times ahead for allies in this one! [X(][8|]

[Honda]

Dive Bomber,

thanks. Although results are great, I don't think I did anything spectacular. No wait, I did. India and Australia in 5 months. Thanks, I'll take it.[8D]
Seriously, I had the benefit of a bold plan from the beggining. I don't think you can improvise such huge operations. I had 8 divs preping for Sydney since January. If you don't aim high, you can never get there. But it wasn't an all or nothing venture. I had a clear understanding of what I needed to do to acomplish my goals and what the secondery objetives were. I also turned CenPac into a defensive area from day 1. I my mind, there were only 2 gambles:
1. Minute size of the India invasion force
2. Sydney landings (urban hex, 9 forts, huge reinforcement base, not previously reconed so enemy wouldn't be alarmed)
But there's no war without gambling...

Dear Raver,
No problem about the Karachi airfelds. As you said, there wasn't many places they could go. And what about the RN sub except it should stay out of unfriendly ports?[:-]

[Honda]

Here's a little treat. A list of sunken ships by type and navy[8D]

Japanese /Allied
CV 2 / 6
CVL 0 / 1
BB 0 / 7
CA 2 / 17
CL 1 /23
DD 14 /69
APD 2 /6
AK 10 / 166
AP 23 / 55
SS 3 / 16
ML/DM(S) 2 / 9
CS 2 / 0
AO 0 / 3
TK 1 /27
PG/PC 15 /20
PT 6 / 23
AUX 2 / 8

Notes:
Only 5 Jap DDs sunk are "modern"
Chiyoda and Chitose were lost due to 2 separate acts of stupidity